Mentor Graphics, Imagination and Pure have worked together to deliver an advanced graphical UI for the Pure Avalon 300R Connect Freeview+ HD Digital TV Recorder. Philip Burr, director of UI product marketing at Mentor Graphics, is here to tell you more about the collaboration between Mentor, Imagination and Pure as well as the wide range of solutions from Mentor Embedded for sophisticated user interfaces (UI).

As can be seen from the quotes above, the importance of a good user interface (UI) cannot be overlooked. In fact, the determining factor on whether a product succeeds or fails often hinges on the right combination of efficient hardware and a rich, intuitive user experience.

The Pure Avalon 300R Connect uses Imagination’s PowerVR GPU to power the user experience and interface . This has enabled Pure to create a fluid, well designed 3D UI which adds depth and sophistication to the product.

Implementing great UIs within time and budget is never easy, however with the right tools and software the job can be made much easier. This is why Pure worked closely with Mentor Graphics to make full use of Mentor’s expertise in UI and graphics. Mentor supplied UI tools, a graphics engine and services to Pure.

Mentor has a lot of experience in working with clients such as Pure, and, in our experience, it’s always a critical first step to map out expectations and ultimate goals. Only then can we introduce the right UI tools and technology into the product and design cycle.

To enable a quick start, Mentor implemented the first iteration of Avalon 300R’s UI based on the design and graphical assets provided by Pure. We then trained up the Pure team who refined the design and added some additional screens. A close working relationship is always important and this project was no exception – we worked together as a team and even had the Pure hardware in our labs.